


Old Scars, New Scars

by vesta02



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Late night talks, Mass Effect 2, Nightmares, Pre-Relationship, Scars, Trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-13
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-23 15:38:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7469289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vesta02/pseuds/vesta02
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I’m glad you didn’t die, Garrus.”</p><p>“Me too, Shepard, me too.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Old Scars, New Scars

**Author's Note:**

> I am currently living in Mass Effect hell, more specifically Shakarian, don't mind me as I subtly shift my fandom lens for a bit.

It’s late, she should be trying to get some rest as their ship cruises through the galaxy. But her mind is a dark place right now; sleep is the furthest thing from her mind. It’s almost a no-brainer when her feet take her down along the crew deck and into the main battery. Sonja Shepard yearns for the familiar and, for once, the universe has been kind.

“Do they hurt?” She’s looking at the scars along the side of his face, a small frown and something akin to sympathy on her features. She wonders if she could have done more to keep Garrus from suffering, her heart clenching in her chest. They had come so close to losing him and Sonja didn’t want to think about a reality where Garrus hadn’t survived. She has so few friends and allies on this mission; Garrus and Joker are the only people she knows, without a doubt, that she can trust. 

“Do yours?” She can’t explain why it feels so good to hear his voice. The duality in tone, a soothing and familiar timbre she knows. She’s been around too many strangers these days, people she doesn’t know if she should trust them.

At least Garrus is at her side.

Sonja’s in a new body but old aches remain. She still wears the scars on her heart from all she’s seen, all she’s been through. Adjusting, shifting her view, learning to work with the enemy instead of against it - that’s what she’s been trying to do. Keeping her head above water isn’t so easy though, not when her crew (her  _ original  _ crew) is left scattered to the winds or long dead.

She laughs, touching her cheek, fingertips running along the strange red scars. Reminders of all that Lazarus has done for her, all that Cerberus has done to bring her back. Doctor Chakwas says they’ll heal with time. It’s funny though - they gave her new scars and erased the old in the process. The woman staring back in the mirror is both her and also not her. It’s a confusing feeling, seeing the marks from Akuze erased from her face, replaced with reminders of her rebirth.

She sits on the floor of the main battery with Garrus, legs stretched out in front of her, leaning into his side. It’s not the most comfortable position but Sonja’s too tired to care. Sleep escapes her most nights, a gnawing fear in the pit of her stomach lingering from the realization of how much time had passed the last time she woke at the Lazarus station. The fear that, if she closes her eyes, she might never wake up again, haunts her. 

But that’s neither here nor there. She doesn’t want to linger on the two years that passed or the lack of time lapse on her end. She’s not going to think about the facility where she woke up, the lengths they went to bring her back or the fact that, once again, Commander Shepard is coming in to try and save the day.

And, of course, she has Garrus by her side.

“I’m glad you didn’t die, Garrus.”

“Me too, Shepard, me too.”


End file.
